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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27260674">dancing on the tightrope (don't cut the wire)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/FiresFromOurHearts/pseuds/FiresFromOurHearts'>FiresFromOurHearts</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Naruto Prompts [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Canon Compliant, Descent into Madness, Family, Follows Izuna's death, Founders Week 2020, Founding of Konoha, Gen, Insanity, Madness, Uchiha Clan - Freeform, Uchiha Hikaku-centric, okay might be slightly not canon complaint because I looked at no timeline, partially canon complaint I guess?, probably</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 09:34:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,156</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27260674</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/FiresFromOurHearts/pseuds/FiresFromOurHearts</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>They say when Izuna died, he took the Clan Head with him. Sometimes, Hikaku thought it might’ve been better if that had actually happened.</p>
</blockquote>When the Uchiha Clan moved to Konoha, Madara made Izuna's room and filled it with his things. Izuna is dead, the Uchiha Clan knows. Madara does not know this. And Hikaku? He tries. For his family. For the clan. And together, the Uchiha Clan tries not to fall to ruin.<p>Day 6 of Founders Week 2020: <b>Family</b> | <s>Dimension hopping</s></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Uchiha Hikaku &amp; Original Uchiha Character, Uchiha Hikaku &amp; Uchiha Izuna, Uchiha Hikaku &amp; Uchiha Madara, Uchiha Izuna &amp; Uchiha Madara</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Naruto Prompts [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1982980</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Founders Week 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>dancing on the tightrope (don't cut the wire)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They say when Izuna died, he took the Clan Head with him. Sometimes, Hikaku thought it might’ve been better if that had actually happened.</p>
<p>The Senju Clan got their peace, won the war, in the end. And the Ucihha Clan? They were left with scraps, a kicked dog scavenging in the trash left outside. They were fed on morsels, running themselves into the ground for the sake of the village that they were supposedly part of. It was, Hikaku had to admit, not necessarily the Senju Clan’s fault. After all, there were stories of clans that brought themself to ruin with a bad Clan Head.</p>
<p>Madara wasn’t—hadn’t been—a bad Clan Head before. He’d been good, strong. Cared for the clan in terms of resources, reputation, and the clan members as well. That had been before Izuna had died, though. Before they allied themselves with the Senju Clan. Before the village was built.</p>
<p>If Izuna had been here, things would be different. But Izuna is not. Izuna’s dead and his ashes have been on the wind for many long years now. At least, most of the clan believes that. There’s one outlier.</p>
<p>Hikaku knocks on the door.</p>
<p>A moment of silence passes him by, before the door is opened by Madara. The man should look like he’s in his prime, only a few years older than Hikaku, but Madara could almost be an Elder, if only he had more wrinkles and grey hair. His face is gaunt though they have enough food now. Hikaku has heard some of the Uchiha children whisper how Madara is really a demon here to shepherd souls of the dead to the Eternal Flame. </p>
<p>“Izuna’s out if you wanted him,” Madara says upon seeing Hikaku.</p>
<p>Once upon a time, Hikaku would’ve protested and tried to inform Madara of reality. However, such things have proven useless. It’s far easier to pander to Madara’s reality than mention Izuna’s death. </p>
<p>“That’s okay,” Hikaku says instead. “I have to deliver some paperwork that requires the Clan Head’s signature and pick up the last lot of paperwork I dropped off.”</p>
<p>“Right,” Madara says, stepping backward. “Come in.”</p>
<p>In his worst moments, when he’s at his least charitable, Hikaku sometimes thinks it would be easier if Madara had actually died with Izuna. At least then Hikaku wouldn’t be completing all the paperwork and just having Madara sign with chakra-infused ink. But Madara’s alive and Hikaku knows better than to hope for useless things. </p>
<p> “Here are the last papers you brought,” Madara says, swapping Hikaku’s pile for another one. “Izuna, however, has some questions. He doesn’t want people to move out of the compound. He also thinks the clan should have control over the police force.”</p>
<p>That sounds like an awful idea to Hikaku, but it’s not as if he can fight Madara on this. If he could do that, he would’ve forced Madara from the Clan Head position many years ago. There are many early graves that tell of Madara’s rage when he’s questioned, or his reality denied. It is far better, far safer, to bow and accept what is said. The only way they might remove Madara from the Clan Head position was to either assassinate him or perform a coup, but the Uchiha Clan could not show infighting—and so Madara lives.</p>
<p>“I will requisition the funds from Konoha’s treasury,” Hikaku says, already thinking of the forms he’ll have to fill out and messages he will have to give to the Hokage.</p>
<p>“No,” Madara says sharply, head snapping up to grab Hikaku’s gaze, Sharingan spinning. “Take them from our funds. I don’t trust the village. Or the <em>Hokage</em>. They’re waiting for us to mess up and then they’ll take control and kill us all. We can’t trust them. Do you understand? We can’t trust them. Izuna says so!”</p>
<p>Izuna is dead.</p>
<p>Hikaku bows his head low, “I understand,” he murmurs.</p>
<p>“Dismissed,” Madara tells him, before the man enters a room dubbed to be Izuna’s. Hikaku had seen in once, before being hauled out by his throat by Madara, and it’s an exact replication of Izuna’s room in the old compound, complete with all his things and mess.</p>
<p>Hikaku is glad to leave the house, and quickly heads towards the entrance into the compound. Thankfully, Madara’s house is in a distant part of the compound that visitors rarely venture into. Makes it easier to hide.</p>
<p>“How was he?” Toshiaki asks when Hikaku is back in the business area of the compound. Toshiaki is one of the strongest Uchihas, though he can’t compare to Madara—no one can now—and Hikaku can still beat him in a spar.</p>
<p>“The normal,” Hikaku says with a grimace. “Some awful ideas—he wants us to only live in the compound, and he wants us to run the police program. Taking the money from our own funds.”</p>
<p>“What funds?” Toshiaki says with a scowl. The Uchiha Clan is struggling financially, with their members trying to take as many missions as possible. Thanks to the village pooling its resources, they don’t suffer food-wise, but there’s little economic room for anything new.</p>
<p>Hikaku grunts. “Not like I could tell him otherwise.”</p>
<p>“If only,” Toshiaki says wistfully, before knocking shoulders with Hikaku. “But we need you alive so don’t go crossing Madara.”</p>
<p>They pause at a corner. Toshiaki gives Hikaku a soft smile, “Stay alive. I’ll go deal with today’s problems. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”</p>
<p>“Thank you,” Hikaku says, watching with his eyes as Toshiaki winds his way through the streets, then he turns to head elsewhere. Once a week, he visits the graveyard. The gravestones here are far from forgotten, the ghosts are a presence felt—the lack of gravestones, even more so. Moving had meant leaving everything behind, including the graves of their ancestors. Instead, a single tombstone stands for those left behind.</p>
<p>In front of Izuna’s grave, Hikaku folds his legs and kneels, bowing his head. It’s been three short years since Izuna’s death, and Madara has spiralled further and further into madness. He calls Izuna’s name, speaks as if his brother is alive, seems to hallucinate him.</p>
<p>“I’m doing my best,” Hikaku tells the empty world surrounding him and the dark gravestone that is too cold and too grey to remind him of Izuna. “But I fear my best is not good enough. Madara is getting worse, though he hasn’t physically assaulted anyone recently. I fear he has some greater plan, though.” He swallows. “Is this the price of eternal Mangekyō? A descent into madness?” Slowly breathing out, Hikaku gathers his thoughts and calms his heartbeat. “But he is family, and so we will look out for him still.”</p>
<p>And so the day has passed. Tomorrow, it will all begin again. This is Hikaku’s future now. The mediator between a mad-man and the rest of the world. He can only hope he keeps the clan from ruin.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Uhhh, don't kill me? Potentially blame Silver for this. She keeps hurting me with her fics and so I've finally returned the favour. I mean, also she got the idea going in my head. It stemmed from this:</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>Izuna dies, but in Konoha, Madara makes a room for Izuna and stores his things. And hallucinates Izuna. And Madara is definitely going insane and not aware of it, and <i>Izuna</i> is the one urging him further into madness</p>
</blockquote>However, as I wasn't sure about how to write from Madara's POV of him descending into madness, you get an outsider POV thanks to Hikaku, who I've never written before so this was fun.<p>I don't think I have much to say, so I hope you enjoyed and aren't dying (if you read my Madara goes to get Izuna back from the underworld, you could consider this 1 possible ending - the other ending would, of course, be a happy one).</p></blockquote></div></div>
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